Praise be to Allah, Lord of Nature, shalawat and greetings to the Prophet and the most noble Messenger, our Prophet Muhammad, Shalallahu ‘alaihi Wa Sallam, along with his family and his companions.
A lot of Muslims like to perform umrah during Rajab, because most of them belief in the virtues of umrah in Rajab. Is that true umrah at the Haram month (Rajab) has primacy compared with any other month?
Rajab is the seventh month in Islamic lunar calendar. This month is regarded as one of the sacred months (Al-Ashhur-al-hurum) in which battles were prohibited in the days of the Holy Prophet.
“Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred (i.e. the 1st, the 7th, the 11th and the 12th months of the Islamic calendar). That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein” [at-Tawbah 9:36].
Rasulullah, Shallallahu ‘alaihi Wa Sallam, said:
“The year is twelve months, of which four are sacred: three consecutive months, Dhu’l-Qa’dah, Dhu’l-Hijjah and Muharram, and Rajab.(Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
As this month is one of the sacred months, we should increase our ibadah, our deeds to prepare the month of Ramadhan, in which Qur’an was revealed as a guidance for mankind, as well as a clarification and differentiation between truth and falsehood.
Sheikh Muhammad Saleh Al-Munajjid, the prominent Saudi Islamic lecturer and author, stated:
There is no report from Rasulullah, Shallallahu ‘alaihi Wa Sallam,- as far as I know – to suggest that there is any particular virtue in performing ‘umrah in the month of Rajab, or that it is encouraged.
Ibn al-‘Attar-student of Imam al-Nawawi, Rahimahumallah,-said,
ومما بلغني عن أهل مكة زادها الله شرفا اعتياد كثرة الاعتمار في رجب, وهذا مما لا أعلم له أصلا, بل ثبت في حديث أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: عمرة في رمضان تعدل حجة
“I got news about the inhabitants of Mekkah, May Allah add to the glory of Makkah about their habits to performing umrah frequently in the month of Rajab, and this habit is that I do not know the basics or dalil of it, but has remained in the hadith that Rasulullah, Shallallahu ‘alaihi Wa Sallam, said: the reward of umrah in Ramadan is similar to Hajj.”(Al-Musajalah Baina Al-‘ Izz ibn Abdissalam Ibnus Salah wa, p. 56th.).
There is no dalil to prove that Rasulullah, Shallallahu ‘alaihi Wa Sallam, performed ‘umrah in Rajab, rather that was denied by `A’ishah, Radhiallahu ‘anha, who said,
Rasulullah, Shallallahu ‘alaihi Wa Sallam, never performed ‘umrah in Rajab.” (Al-Bukhaari, 1776, and Muslim, 1255).
Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his Fatawa (6/131):
With regard to singling out some days of Rajab for any kinds of ziyarah (visiting holy places) etc., there is no basis for that in Shari`ah.by Aa. Sumadri
And Imam Abu Shamah stated in his book Al-Bida’ wa’l-Hawadith that performing acts of worship at specific times which were not prescribed by Islam is not right, because no time is better than any other, except times when it is prescribed to perform a certain kind of worship, or a time when all kinds of good deeds are better than at other times. Hence the scholars denounced the singling out of the month of Rajab for performing ‘umrah a great deal.”
It is allowable to perform umrah during Rajab, the same as it is permissible throughout the whole year but without the intention of performing it only in Rajab, as performing `umrah has a great reward the same as performing at any time throughout the whole year and no special merit can be attached to it merely. A Muslim is required to perform acts of worship in all the Sacred Months, and Rajab is undoubtedly one of them.
May Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala, lead us in His path to gain rewards in this sacred month by doing a lot of good things, collect the deeds which help us to get closer to Allah, the greatest of Allah.muslimah
